Building

ABSTRACT

A building is disclosed wherein roof trusses are supported by lintels which in turn are supported at their ends from vertical columns. The lintels support an upper channel and the foundation or footing supports a lower channel. Prefabricated wall panels are retained within the channels.

United States Patent 91 Weiner 1111 3,777,426 [451 Dec. 11, 1973 BUILDING [21] Appl. No.: 266,176

[52] US. Cl 52 /92, 52/274, 52/283, 52/483 [51] Int. Cl E04b H24 [58] Field of Search 52/92, 243, 241, 52/242, 488, 483, 694, 299, 283, 274, 272

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,274,739 9/1966 Gregoire 52/293 X 2,246,215 6/1941 Nagin et a1. 52/694 X 2,459,037 1/1949 McIntosh 52/694 X 3,474,578 10/1969 Wippermann 52/694 X 2,177,699 10/1939 Fisher 62/274 X 3,668,828 6/1972 Nicholas et al. 52/92 2,234,960 3/1941 Buelow 52/92 X 2,445,491 7/1948 Moloney..

1,958,473 5/1934 Dovell.. 2,664,978 1/1954 Fox 52/552 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 618,130 2/1949 Great Britain 52/92 1,454,749 10/1966 France 52/92 Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-Leslie A; Braun Attorney-Arthur H. Seidel et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A building is disclosed wherein roof trusses are supported by lintels which in turn aresupported at their ends from vertical columns. The lintels support an upper channel and the foundation or footing supports a lower channel. Prefabricated wall panels are retained within the channels.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PAIENIEUDEB 11 1975 3,777,426

sum 2 CF 3 BUILDING This invention relates to a prefabricated building which may be assembled more rapidly than those proposed heretofore with a minimum of parts and skilled labor within a minimum amount of time.

The roof is supported on prefabricated roof trusses. The ends of the trusses are supported by horizontal support members referred to as lintels. The lintels are supported at their ends by vertical columns and removably coupled thereto in a manner whereby they may be rapidly interconnected. The lintels support a downwardly facing upper channel adapted to receive the upper end of a non-load prefabricated wall panel. A lower channel supported by a footing or foundation receives the lower end of the wall panel.

In constructing the building, the vertical columns are bolted to the foundation. Thereafter, the lintels are interconnected with the upper ends of the columns. Wall panels are introduced into the channels. The wall panels have an exterior weatherproof surface and an interior surface which defines the interior wall of a room.

Thereafter, trusses are supported by the lintels. A roof is applied to the trussesto thereby complete the building. The roof may be formed by spraying a l-inch layer of polyurethane foam onto a roofing board supported by the trusses. Thereafter, a butyl or neoprene coating may be applied over the polyurethane foam.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel building and method of making the same.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a prefabricated building and method of making the same in a manner which is inexpensive, does not require skilled labor and may be assembled in a rapid manner. I

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understoodfhowever, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building in accordance with the present invention partiallybroken away to disclose interior construction.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a vertical column and its coupling with lintels. 7

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1. I

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view showing the relationship of the lintel, upper channel and wall panel.

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view showing the relationship between a wall panel and the bottom channel.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 a building which may be of a residential type, designated generally as 10. The building 10 includes a foundation 12 provided with a floor 14 supported by trusses 16. The ends of the trusses 16 extend into recesses in the foundation 12.

A corner column 18 is provided at one corner and a corner column 20 is provided at an opposite corner aluminum columns which will be load bearing columns.

A horizontally disposed lintel 24 extends between and is supported at its ends by the columns 18 and 22. A similar lintel 26 extends between and is supported at its ends by the columns 22 and 20. Similar center columns and corner columns are provided for the other walls of the building 10 with similar lintels supported thereby. Referring to FIG. 2 in particular, the lintels 24 and 26 are identical. Hence, only lintel 24 will be described in detail with corresponding primed numerals being'provided for corresponding structure on lintel Lintel 24 is comprised of top angle members 28 and 30 and bottom angle members 32 and 34. These angle members are disposed so as to define horizontal upper and lower surfaces for the lintel. Each of the angle members is interconnected at their free ends to end plates 36 and 38 with a chord 40 between the angle members as shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 6. The chord 40 zigzags between the top and bottom members of the lintel 24 and is welded thereto. The ends of the angle members are welded to the end plates'36 and 38.

As shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, hooks 42 are provided on the end plate 38. The corresponding hooks 44 are provided on the end plate 38'. A U-shaped channel member 46 is welded to the center column 22 so as to define a cavity for receiving the hooks 42. Member 46 is parallel to the center column 22 and secured thereto by welding the free ends of the U-shaped member 46 to column 22. Holes 50 are provided in the bight portion of member 46 through which the hooks 42 may extend as shown more clearly in FIG. 3.

Asimilar channel member 48 is welded to the opposite face of the hollow column 22 as shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3. Member 48 is provided with holes 52 through which the hooks 44 extend. The channel members 48 act as an integral unit with the center column 22 to facilitate supporting the lintels and any load supported thereby. The end plates 36 and 36' are similarly interconnected with channel members welded to the upper ends of the corner columns 18 and 20.

As shown more clearly in FIGS. 4 and 6, L-shaped mounting plates 54 are welded to the chord 40 at spaced points therealong. Similar mounting plates are welded to the chords of the remaining lintels utilized to form the building 10. The lower end of the mounting plate 54 rests on the upper edge of the bottom anglemember 34. The bight portion of a downwardly facing top channel 56 is welded to the mounting plates 54.

An upwardly facing bottom channel 58 is bolted or otherwise secured to the foundation l-2..As illustrated, the channel 58 is bolted to the foundation 12 by means of bolts 60 at spaced points therealong. The bottom channel 58 has a lip 62 which projects downwardly and beyond the side face of the foundation 12. The contact between the lips 62 and the side face of the foundation assures that the channel 58 will be properly located so as to be directly below the channel 56.

A plurality of discrete prefabricated wall panels are disposed within and supported by the channels 56 and 58 so as to define the inner and outer surfaces of the building and rooms thereof. The wall panels 64 are preferably 4 feet wide and 9 feet high and made in accordance with my copending patent application Ser. No. 20764 filed on Mar. 18, 1970 and entitled Building Panel and Method of Making Same now abandoned.

The panels 64 are completely made from incombustible material and have an outer weatherproof surface defined by bricks 66 held in place by a synthetic polymeric mortar 68. The mortar 68 is bonded to an insulation layer 70 which is preferably a closed cell foam polymeric material such as foam polyurethane. Layer 70 is bonded to one surface of an inner layer 72 which may be wall-board, plywood, etc. The panel 64 is positioned so that it also contacts a side face of the bottom angle member 34. See FIG. 6.

A plurality of roof trusses 74 are provided. The trusses 74 have angularly disposed top chords interconnected with a bottom chord 78. A roof 76 is supported by the top chords of the trusses 74. The top chords of the trusses 74 extend beyond the lintels so as to define eaves.

The lower chords 78 of the roof trusses are bolted, welded, or otherwise secured to the lintels and have a lower surface which lies in the same plane as the lower surface of the angle members 32 and 34. In this manner, prefabricated ceiling panels may be interconnected to the lower chords 78 of the roof trusses and to the bottom angle members 32 and 34.

The roof 76 may be secured to the angularly disposed upper chords of the roof trusses in any convenient manner. A suitable roof 76 would include celotex boards or their equivalent secured to the upper chords of the roof trusses. On top of the celotex board, there would be sprayed a l-inch layer of foam polyurethane on top of which will be applied a butyl or neoprene covering. In this manner, the roof 76 would be waterproofed and insulated.

Building is assembled by first installing the foundation l2, and floor 14 in any conventional manner. Thereafter, the corner column 18 is installed in an upright disposition. The end of lintel 36 containing plate 38 is interconnected with the corner column 18 while the other end is supported in any convenient manner. Thereafter, the end of lintel 24 containing end plate 38 is interconnected with the center column 22 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3.

Thereafter, lintel 26 is interconnected with the center column 22 as shown in FIG. 3 while the other end is supported in any convenient manner. Thereafter, end plate 36 is interconnected with the corner column by means of structure corresponding to that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Thereafter, the corner column 20 is rigidly secured to the foundation 12 in any convenient manner.

Thereafter, the panels 64 are slid along the top and bottom channels until they occupy the entirety of the channels. Adjacent panels are interconnected by splines, not shown, with some pointing of mortar being required between adjacent panels. In alike manner, the remaining walls of the building are installed.

Thereaftr, the roof trusses 74 are secured to the lintels and the roof applied thereto as described above. It will be noted that the corners of the building are defined by L-shaped panels 64. After one wall has been completed, one leg of the L-shaped panel will be in position before the top channel of the next wall is installed. The bottom channels will have been installed before any of the wall panels are positioned so as to define the outer perimeter of the building. Wherever windows or doors are provided in the walls, special panels are utilized so that casement window frames or door frames may be installed without the requirement of any skilled labor. If desired, the roof 76 may be prefabricated in the form of panels which need only be installed and waterproofed at the job site.

The present invention may be embodied in other spe cific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a building comprising a foundation supporting an upwardly facing bottom channel, first and second load bearing columns inwardly of the bottom channel, a lintel having its ends removably coupled to said columns by hook and slot structure, a downwardly facing top channel disposed directly abovev said bottom channel, mounting means extending from said lintel and connected to said top channel at spaced points therealong, roof trusses supported by said lintel, andprefabricated insulated wall panels having their upper ends in said top channel and having their lower ends in said bottom channel.

2. In a building in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hook and slot structure includes a plurality of hooks on an end plate of the lintel, the upper end of said columns being hollow and having slots through which the hooks extend.

3. In a building in accordance with claim 2 wherein said lintel is comprised of a pair of top angle members interconnected with a pair of bottom angle members by a zigzag chord structure, each of said angle members being connected to said end plate, the hollow upper end of said columns being defined by U-shaped channels having their free ends connected to the column with the slots being in the bight of the last-mentioned U-shaped channels.

4. In a building in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first column is a comer column of the building, said second column being a center column, a third column located at another corner of the building, a second lintel having its ends removably coupled to said second and third columns by a hook and slot structure, said third column being inwardly of the bottom channel.

5. A building comprising a foundation supporting an upwardly facing bottom channel connected thereto, first and second hollow load bearing columns inwardly of the channel, a horizontal lintel extending between said columns, said lintel being comprised of a pair of top angle members connected to and on opposite sides of a zigzag chord, said lintel including a pair of bottom angle members on opposite sides and connected to said chord, mounting plates connected to said lintel at spaced points therealong, a downwardly facing top channel connected to said mounting plates and positioned directly over the bottom channel, and insulated wall panels disposed within said top and bottomchannels across the full width of the top and'bottom channels.

6. In a building in accordance with claim 5 wherein the lintel includes end plates connected to the angle members at their ends, each end plate having a plurality of downwardly facing hooks thereon, each column having a plurality of slots receiving the hooks so that loadssupported by the lintel are transmitted to the columns, and roof trusses connected to and supported by said lintel. 

1. In a building comprising a foundation supporting an upwardly facing bottom channel, first and second load bearing columns inwardly of the bottom channel, a lintel Having its ends removably coupled to said columns by hook and slot structure, a downwardly facing top channel disposed directly above said bottom channel, mounting means extending from said lintel and connected to said top channel at spaced points therealong, roof trusses supported by said lintel, and prefabricated insulated wall panels having their upper ends in said top channel and having their lower ends in said bottom channel.
 2. In a building in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hook and slot structure includes a plurality of hooks on an end plate of the lintel, the upper end of said columns being hollow and having slots through which the hooks extend.
 3. In a building in accordance with claim 2 wherein said lintel is comprised of a pair of top angle members interconnected with a pair of bottom angle members by a zigzag chord structure, each of said angle members being connected to said end plate, the hollow upper end of said columns being defined by U-shaped channels having their free ends connected to the column with the slots being in the bight of the last-mentioned U-shaped channels.
 4. In a building in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first column is a corner column of the building, said second column being a center column, a third column located at another corner of the building, a second lintel having its ends removably coupled to said second and third columns by a hook and slot structure, said third column being inwardly of the bottom channel.
 5. A building comprising a foundation supporting an upwardly facing bottom channel connected thereto, first and second hollow load bearing columns inwardly of the channel, a horizontal lintel extending between said columns, said lintel being comprised of a pair of top angle members connected to and on opposite sides of a zigzag chord, said lintel including a pair of bottom angle members on opposite sides and connected to said chord, mounting plates connected to said lintel at spaced points therealong, a downwardly facing top channel connected to said mounting plates and positioned directly over the bottom channel, and insulated wall panels disposed within said top and bottom channels across the full width of the top and bottom channels.
 6. In a building in accordance with claim 5 wherein the lintel includes end plates connected to the angle members at their ends, each end plate having a plurality of downwardly facing hooks thereon, each column having a plurality of slots receiving the hooks so that loads supported by the lintel are transmitted to the columns, and roof trusses connected to and supported by said lintel. 